With a growing demand for increased transparency in governance, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a pioneering move towards implementing quarterly assessments of cabinet ministers and the agencies they oversee. This groundbreaking initiative aims to hold government officials accountable for their performance, ultimately benefiting the Nigerian public.
In an exclusive interview on TVC News, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, unveiled the government’s plan to conduct quarterly assessments of ministries starting in January 2024. She emphasised that ministers would be required to sign a performance bond with President Tinubu to ensure commitment to their duties.
“The quarterly assessments will officially kick off in January 2024, coinciding with the distribution of ministries’ budgets for the year,” Usman explained. “This process will be based on clearly defined deliverables and legal frameworks, providing an unprecedented level of accountability.”
Usman further revealed that extensive discussions and consultations have been taking place with ministries and agencies to clarify their specific deliverables. These deliverables will be translated into key performance indicators (KPIs), with the government emphasizing that these performance goals will directly influence the budgetary provisions for 2024.
“Each ministry has been tasked with aligning their deliverables with the budgetary allocations that will be submitted to the National Assembly,” Usman said. “This approach ensures that every policy position is linked to a clear deliverable, complete with detailed KPIs and corresponding budgetary provisions.”
To solidify this commitment to accountability, a cabinet retreat is scheduled for the first week of November, where the final details will be discussed with the entire cabinet and President Tinubu. At the end of this process, each ministry, including ministers and Permanent Secretaries, will sign a performance bond with the President, specifying their responsibilities within the 2024 budget cycle.
The government also plans to involve citizens in the assessment process, with the development of a software application that will allow citizens to report on project-based deliverables committed to by the federal government in 2024.
“Citizen engagement is a pivotal aspect of our initiative, ensuring that citizens are active participants in this assessment,” Usman affirmed. “We are deploying a software application that will enable citizens to report on project-based deliverables undertaken by the government in 2024. Additionally, we aim to establish a citizens’ accountability matrix for non-project-based deliverables.”
In a significant move towards accountability, the government introduced a Consequence Management Framework. This framework will address both positive and negative actions or inactions of ministries, departments, and agencies, holding them accountable for their performance.
Acknowledging the interconnectedness of various sectors and entities within the government, Usman’s team is actively working to streamline processes and promote synergy among ministries. This approach is designed to remove bottlenecks and enhance overall efficiency, ultimately ensuring that government officials are held accountable for their actions and contributions to the nation.
